Episode 3963 (11 March 2010)
Synopsis Billie, finally plucking up some courage, tells Kylie that he has better things to do than set fire to Trina’s tree. With Carol and Charlie nearing on either side of the square, Connor takes out a spray can and begins to tag Arthur’s bench. As Charlie calls out for him to stop, the duo dash leaving Whitney and Billie to face the music. Whitney convinces Billie to flee. Not wanting Carol to put a ban on her relationship with Billie, she refuses to tell the truth about what happened. Angered that Whitney was even drunk in the first place, Bianca heads over to the Vic to share her disapproval with Peggy but eventually softens and decides to take a different tack. Whitney is horrified as Bianca sits her down for a chat about safe drinking and contraception. Having managed to persuade Patrick not to investigate the matter of the lilies any further, things come to a head for Lucas when Libby returns from Oxford. Wanting to make sure that her dad is all right, Patrick helps Libby sneak into the back of the florist shop, where she swipes a bunch of security DVDs. The two head back to the house ready to watch the footage and keep an eye out for Owen. Libby’s return also spells sadness for Darren as he learns that she is now officially dating a smug and gloating Adam. When Libby realises that Tamwar must have just received his re-sit results, Adam’s gloating becomes even more offensive as he torments the boy for failing to meet Oxford’s standards once again. Tamwar is left trying to figure out how best to tell his parents the disappointing news. A suspicious Peggy is asked to vouch for Danny, to ensure his release from the police station. The matriarch remains sceptical until she notices that the wallpaper on his phone is a photo of the Mitchell ladies. Peggy takes the young man back to the Vic and welcomes him home. After the trauma of the evening, and despite an apology from Roxy, Peggy decides that she is best off going to stay with her sister Sal and heads downstairs to say goodbye to the bar. On her way out Danny stops her. Holding the Queen Vic bust, he insists that he is going to help her, just as she helped him. Ian returns home to his waiting family with fish, chips and a DVD as promised. Excited, they watch Ian put the DVD into the machine, only to discover that it is a birthing video. Jane’s initial reaction of anxiety and frustration subsides when Lucy agrees that it would be a good for her to watch the birth. Surprisingly, the experience is something of a healing one for all the family. Lucy is inspired by the example of the mother and Ian realises that it is his grandchild’s life in the balance. Ian assures Jane that he is now fully on board with their plan. When Lucas, Denise and Chelsea walk back through their front door they are met by the shocked stares of Patrick and Libby. Looking over at the television, Lucas realises that he is looking at a picture of himself, talking to a florist and pointing to a bunch of lilies. Credits Main cast *Lucas Johnson - Don Gilet *Libby Fox - Belinda Owusu *Adam Best - David Proud *Patrick Trueman - Rudolph Walker *Denise Johnson - Diane Parish *Chelsea Fox - Tiana Benjamin *Danny Mitchell - Liam Bergin *Peggy Mitchell - Barbara Windsor *Roxy Mitchell -Rita Simons *Ian Beale - Adam Woodyatt *Jane Beale - Laurie Brett *Lucy Beale - Melissa Suffield *Peter Beale - Thomas Law *Bianca Butcher - Patsy Palmer *Whitney Dean - Shona McGarty *Billie Jackson - Devon Anderson *Carol Jackson - Lindsey Coulson *Darren Miller - Charlie G. Hawkins *Tamwar Masood - Himesh Patel *Charlie Slater- Derek Martin *Kylie - Elarica Gallacher *Connor Stanley - Arinze Kene *Desk Sergeant Lewis - Andy Greenhalgh *Theresa - Dolya Gavanski Tabloids article A mother is furious with the BBC over its ‘inhumane’ decision to show scenes of her giving birth in an episode of EastEnders. Emma Bailey, 35, had allowed the birth of her son Dominic to be filmed for an educational charity – but was horrified when the footage appeared as part of a controversial storyline about teenage pregnancy and abortion in the BBC soap. On March 11 more than eight million people tuned in to see the character Ian Beale persuading his pregnant teenage daughter Lucy to watch a DVD about childbirth to encourage her to terminate her pregnancy. In pre-publicity for the show the BBC described the footage as a ‘gore-fest’ and in a subsequent episode viewers learned Lucy had had an abortion. The film featuring Miss Bailey was made in 2007 for the National Childbirth Trust. Called Happy Birth Day: What to Do When for Your Best Possible Pregnancy and Birth (National Childbirth Trust), she hoped it would help expectant mothers.In the scene on EastEnders, Miss Bailey can be heard shouting: ‘I don’t want to do this any more.’ She is then seen holding Dominic as a nurse wipes blood from his face. The mother of two from Southampton, who discovered the footage had been aired when a friend rang her to tell her she had seen it, said last night: ‘They described it as a gore-fest – there is no humanity in that. They see it as a horrible event, but for me it is my son’s birth. ‘I would never have consented to audio of me giving birth. It is highly personal and intimate and you actually heard me giving birth.’ After it was shown, Miss Bailey complained to broadcasting watchdog Ofcom, supported by the NCT, but it found in favour of the BBC. A spokesman said: ‘None of our rules have been broken.’ and ‘We obtained the footage in good faith and were not aware of any restrictions.’ Category:Episode Category:2010 Episodes Category:Complaints